Norwegian biathlete Juni Arnekleiv

Juni Arnekleiv is a Norwegian biathlon competitor. She made a real breakthrough in the 2022/2023 season, winning the 7.5km sprint in Obertilliach, single mixed relay in Lenzerheide, 7x 7.5km mixed relay in Brezno, as well as the women’s 4x6km relay in Ostersund. Juni Arnekleiv won bronze in the normal distance during the 2019 National Championships in biathlon, and has several medals from the Junior World Championships in biathlon, most recently with bronze in the sprint during the 2021 Junior World Championships.

Juni Arnekleiv was born on February 17, 1999, in Lillehammer, Norway. She started in winter sports from an early age in both cross-country skiing with biathlon. She won the normal distance and the sprint during the Hovedlandsrennen in biathlon in March 2015. She participated in the K17 class during the National Championships in roller ski shooting in 2015, and came in eighth place in the sprint and sixth place in the pursuit start. During the biathlon season opener in Norway 2015, she came third in the sprint in the K17-19 age class. During the Junior National Championships in biathlon in 2016, she participated in the K17 class and came third in the normal distance and sixth in the sprint, and she won silver in the relay. She participated in the K17 class in the Norgescup in biathlon for juniors 2015/16 and came third with 345 points.

In August 2016, Juni Arnekleiv participated in Blinkfestivalen 2016 and came fourth in Lysebotn in the K18 class. She came third in both the cross-country final and the biathlon final in her class. During the National Championships in roller ski shooting in 2016, she came ninth in the sprint and second in the pursuit start.

During the Junior National Championships in biathlon 2017, she won silver in the sprint in the K18 class. In the normal distance, she came in ninth place. At the relay, she came in sixth place, in the class D17-18. In addition, she took part in the mixed relay in class 17-18 years during the National Championships in Biathlon 2017.

Juni Arnekleiv won one of the races in the Norgescup in biathlon for juniors in 2017, and came fourth overall, in the category of women 18 years.

During the Norwegian Roller Ski Shooting Championships 2017 in September, Juni Arnekleiv took part in the K19 class, winning gold in the sprint and bronze in the joint start. She won two gold medals during the Junior National Championships in biathlon 2018, where she won the sprint in the K19 class, and she also won gold in the women’s relay in the K17/19 class. She was selected to represent Norway during the Junior Biathlon World Cup 2018 in Otepaa in Estonia. There she participated in the youth class and came in tenth place in the normal distance, 18th place in the sprint, and 19th place in the pursuit start. In the relay, the Norwegian girls’ team with Juni Arnekleiv came third. She won four of the races in the Norgescup in biathlon for juniors in 2017/2018 and won the K18-19 class overall.

During the Junior National Championships in biathlon 2019, Juni Arnekleiv won silver in the normal distance in the class K20-21. She got bronze in the joint start. On 29 March, she won bronze in the normal distance during the National Championships in biathlon 2019 and she came in eighth place in the sprint in the National Championships.

Juni Arnekleiv took part in the Junior Biathlon World Cup 2019 in Slovakia and came there in 45th place in the normal distance, 31st place in the sprint, and 34th place in the pursuit start. The Norwegian girls’ team came fifth in the relay. She also took part in the Junior European Championships in Biathlon 2019, which was held at Sjusjoen. There she came in 15th place in the normal distance, 25th place in the sprint, and 31st place in the pursuit start.

Juni Arnekleiv came third in the 20-21 age group during the Norwegian Cup in biathlon for juniors 2018/2019, where she won one of the races. She also competed in the IBU Junior Cup 2018/2019, where she came 54th overall.

During the biathlon season opener in Norway 2019, Juni Arnekleiv came in 39th place in the sprint and 44th place in the joint start. She participated in the K20/22 class during the Junior National Championships in biathlon 2020 and came tenth in the normal distance. She participated in the National Championships in the mixed relay during the National Championships in biathlon 2020 and got bronze.

Juni Arnekleiv came second in the Norgescup in biathlon for juniors 2019/2020 (Leroy Cup), in the K20/22 class. She also won a Norwegian Cup race in the senior class, when she won the joint start at Geilo in November. She participated in the IBU Junior Cup 2019/2020, and came there in 79th place with 32 points.

Juni Arnekleiv participated again during Blinkfestivalen 2020. There she came tenth in the prologue in the super sprint in biathlon, in the senior class, and she came sixth in the final. She did not reach the final in the shooting duel, but in the joint start, she came third, behind Ingrid Landmark Tandrevold and Marte Olsbu Roiseland.

The Norwegian Biathlon Cup 2020/2021 started well for Juni Arnekleiv when she won the sprint in the first Norwegian Cup race at Geilo. She participated in the Junior World Championships in biathlon 2021, where she won bronze in the sprint.

The biathlon season opener in Norway 2021 was held at Sjusjoen in November, and Arnekleiv came 16th in the sprint and 38th in the joint start.

In season 2022/2023, Juni Arnekleiv won the 7.5km sprint in Obertilliach, the single mixed relay in Lenzerheide, 7x 7.5km mixed relay in Brezno, as well as the women’s 4x6km relay in Ostersund. She also finished third in the 7.5km sprint in Brezno.

Juni Arnekleiv photos